Toy.



J H. FOX.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4. 1915. RENEWED MAR. 24, 1916.

1 9 l 8 1 ,657 Patented May 2, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGY'ZAPH c0. WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STA ES PA @FFTQE.

TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed February 4, 1915, Serial No. 6,029. Renewed March 24., 1916. Serial No. 86,502.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN H. Fox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berea, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Toys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to toys of the type wherein a motor may be employed for the purpose of operating a shaft, or similar driving agent, which in turn may actuate various devices.

It is the general purpose of the invention to produce a toy of this character that shall be efficient in operation and economical of production.

In the drawings forming part hereof, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the toy; Fig. 2 an enlarged central vertical sectional view through the toy; Fig. 3 a transverse sectional view corresponding to the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective illustrating the construction of the sand valve.

The toy as disclosed herein comprises generally an elongated casing supporting intermediate of its ends a shaft on which there is mounted a wheel of the overshot-water wheel type, with compartments at opposite ends of the casing wherein the material for operating the wheelmay be temporarily stored and whence it may be properly distributed to the wheel as occasion may require.

' rial of the kind mentioned, special bearings will be required for the shaft (which will be described hereinafter). These bearings may be conveniently and cheaply provided by applying a pair of perforated sheet metal plates to opposite sides of the casing.

Each plate, the body whereof is indicated at 2, may be provided at its ends with prongs 3 whereby it may be fastened to the side of the casing, the central aperture 4 thereof being in register with the aperture 5 in the casing. The prongs, after having been inserted throughthe casing, may be pressed outwardly into engagement with the inner surface of the casing. The plates 2 thus form bearings for a shaft 6, which shaft has secured to the central portion thereof a wheel 7. This wheel comprises a plurality of buckets 7 and may be conveniently formed from a single sheet of metal the central portion whereof is soldered to the shaft 6, as indicated at 8, the buckets being conveniently formed by slotting and cutting to proper shape the outer segments of the disk whereby, on giving the resultant projections a quarter turn, spoon like buckets 7 a will be produced.

9 denotes a pair of disks extending diagonally across the casing and located between the wheel and the ends of the casing. As these disks are of identical construction, identical reference characters will be applied to corresponding parts thereof. Each disk, as previously stated, extends diagonally across the casing and is provided, near what will be the lower end thereof when in its Wheel-actuating position, with an aperture 10 which will permit the motive agent which is then above the disk to fall into the upwardly presented buckets of the wheel there-beneath. Each disk is also provided near its opposite end with an aperture 11, which may be conveniently formed by slotting the bottom of the partition and pressing the metal downwardly or toward the central receptacle provided between the disks 9. This provides a plurality of tongues or prongs 12 which are adapted to form a stop for the valve. A cheap and convenient form of valve is shown herein and comprises generally a stem 13 which is adapted to be inserted through the opening 11 and having a valve head 14 on one side thereof and any suitable abutment or prong engaging means 15 at its opposite end. This second abutment or prong-engaging means may be applied to the stem after it has been inserted through the opening 11.

As a convenient means of securing the disks 9 in places, each may be provided with a. lateral flange 9 extending therearound, and the disks may be secured in place by pressing outwardly at suitable intervals projections 9*,whichprojections are adapted to extend into the material of the casing and thereby retain the disks in place.

As the primary object of this invention is the production of an amusement device, suitable sight openings 16 will be provided in the casing permitting the observation of the wheel in action. These openings will I be closed with any desiredtransparent ma-' For instance, a cylindrical liner 17' ings 16 may be inserted within the central portion of the tube before applying the disks 9 thereto and may be retained in place between the said disks. Each end of the casing will be provided with a suitable cover 18, and these covers may and will preferably be nonremovable.

The shaft 6 may operate any desired object. In the drawing, one end of the shaft is shown as provided with a pair of figures 19 illustrating acrobats turning about a bar, while the other end of the shaft is shown as provided with a wheel 20 simulating a wind wheel.

It is intended to operate the wheel 7 by means of a flowing agent which may be received and retained temporarily and alternately within the chambers formed between v the plates 9 and covers 18. Forthis flowing agent, I at present prefer to use fine sand and, with the sand within the receptacle A and the parts shown in the position in Fig. 2, the sand will flow through the opening 10 into the buckets 7 therebeneath and operate the wheel in a well known manner, which will result in rotating the shaft 6 and the figures 19 and the wheel 20 thereupon. The sand, after operating the wheel, drops from the buckets on top of the disk 9 therebeneath and can pass between the prongs or projections 12 and through the opening 11 into the chamber A. hen all the sand has flowed from the chamber A and is collected in the chamber A, the casing may be inverted, which will bring the chamber A and the disk therebeneath into the position shown for the chamber A in Fig. 2, and the operation will then be repeated. When the casing is inverted, the head 14 will automatically drop on top of and close the opening 11, thereby preventing the sand from being supplied to the wrong side of the wheel.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a reversible casing, of a shaft extending across and journaled in the sides of said casing, a wheel on said shaft, said wheel having driving buckets thereon, inclined partitions extending across the casing between the ends and the central portion thereof and forming receptacles for wheel actuating material, each partition being provided with a discharge outlet adapted to direct the contents of the chamber thereabove upon the buckets of the wheel, and a second opening independent of the discharge opening whereby the actuating material may pass through the partition when it is below the wheel.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a reversible casing, a sand wheel provided with pockets mounted in said casing, inclined partitions extending across the casing and forming compartments adapted to be alternately brought above and below the sand wheel, each partition having spaced openings, one of said openings permitting the discharge of actuating material to the sand Wheel and the other opening permitting the passage of the actuating material into the compartment then below the motor.

3. A device of the kind described comprising a casing, a sand wheel mounted therein and provided with pockets, and a pair of inclined, substantially parallel partitions, each partition having a discharge opening positioned to direct actuating material to the sand wheel and a separate escape opening adjacent the end of the partition and adapted to permit the accumulation of the actuating material after operating the sand wheel.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of 'a reversible casing, a wheel journaled in the central portion of the casing and provided with buckets, inclined partitions extending across the casing, each partition being provided near one end thereof with an outlet for supplying material to the buckets of the wheel and at its opposite end with an inlet which is. adapted to receive material that has been used to actuate the wheel, the inlet being provided with means for automatically closing the same when the casing is reversed to bring the partition above the wheel.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a reversible casing, a motor in the central portion of thecasin partitions extending across the casing, eac partition being provided with an outlet for supplying material tothe motor and with an inlet which is adapted to receive material that has been used to actuate the motor, the inlet comprising an opening extending through the partition, the material of said partition adjacent the inlet opening being projected toward the motor compartment, and a valve mounted in said inlet opening and having a head adapted to close said opening, a stem extending through the opening, and an abutment adapted to engage the projecting material.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a reversible casing, a motor in the central portion of the casing, sheet metal partitions extending across the casing and each provided with an outlet for supplying material'to the motor and with an inlet adapted to receive material that has been used to actuate the motor, said inlet comprising an opening extending through the partition, prongs or tongues grouped In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix about the opening and pro ecting toward my signature in the presence of two wit the motor compartment of the casing, 21 nesses.

valve comprising a stem having a head or JOHN H. FOX. 5 bodv adapted. to close the opening, and an Witnesses:

abutment on said stem which is adapted to BRENNAN B. WEST,

engage the prongs or tongues. HUGH B. MCGILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of ratents, Washington, D. G." 

